Those We Trust
by Okami-chan
Summary: Nowhere to Turn tie-in, within the time frame of chapter 8. Red Alert comes back from duty stressed over a situation, and Inferno attempts to discover what's wrong. Red Alert/Firestar/Inferno hubbed


******Those We Trust**

**Note** This won't make any sense if you haven't read at least up to Chapter 8 of Nowhere To Turn!

* * *

Even before Red Alert stepped through the doors Inferno knew his day had been bad. Firestar had made that much quite clear with her intermittent snarls at him to 'calm down' and 'hush.'

The security officer entered the quarters, his engine growling loudly. His lips pressed together in a thin line, and his fists clenched against his thigh.

Inferno sat with this legs comfortably splayed across the floor. The officer's quarters that Red Alert had earned with his promotion allowed the Fire Tanker the rare privilege of stretching to his fullest length across the floor. Datapads lay scattered across the floor in front of him, screens filled with writing and charts. Inferno looked up at his hubmate, and lifted a full cube of energon toward the Toughline. Red Alert took it, his fingers twitching against the cube, and small sounds escaping his vocalizer.

"What's gotcher so riled up, there, Red? Ya've been givin' Firestar fits all day long. She's even startin' ta fritz at me." As he spoke, Inferno picked up the datapads on the floor and stowed them into his subspace.

Red Alert's engine whined. "I don't understand."

Inferno glanced sharply up at the security officer, but he held his vocalizer on mute, knowing that the mech wouldn't be able to help but to explain.

"How can they accept it just like that? No one even tried to stop him. They just sat there like it was the most normal thing..." Red Alert stared wide-opticked at his cube, face bare of any other emotion.

When nothing more bubbled from the mech's vocalizer, Inferno knew he'd have to prompt more from him. "Tried ta stop who?"

"Jazz..."

Inferno, sat straight up, unable to believe his audio receivers. "That don't make no sense. What's Jazz done?"

::_Ugh, don't get him started, _again._ That's all he's gone on about! Primus...::_

Red Alert finally frowned, fully aware of Firestar's words. "I am well within my rights to worry about any threat to security."

"Jazz ain't a threat ta security, Red."

::_That's what I've been trying to tell him. He's slagging special ops. Do you realize the loyalty tests those mechs have to go through?:: _Firestar's frustration eked through the bond, a sizzling stream of data that bounced around her intangible words.

Red Alert vented in frustration, slamming the cube down on the small table next to their berth. "That doesn't make him any less of a possible hazard than any other none special ops mech."

Inferno reached up, able to take hold of the Toughline's arm without stretching. "What'd Jazz do that's gotcher so suspicious?"

Red Alert flashed his optics, and Inferno realized that he wouldn't find out even before the red and white mech spoke.

"I can't elaborate. The matters discussed during the meeting are confidential at the moment."

Red Alert didn't resist as Inferno drew him down to sit between his legs.

"Ironhide was there, wasn't he?" The red head nodded, leaning up against the Fire Tanker's chest. "What'd he have to say?"

Red Alert looked up at Inferno, his irritation echoing through Firestar. "Didn't you hear me? Nobody said or did anything."

Inferno wrapped his arms around the Toughline, placing a kiss on the mech's helm; aware of the reassurance that filtered out of Firestar for their wearied mate. "Think perhaps Ironhide knows what he's doin'? He's been in this gig far longer than you've been online."

Red Alert leaned heavily against his hubmate, his optics dim and distant as he stared at the floor. "I hope so, Inferno. Otherwise the entire unit's in danger, and nobody will do anything."

Inferno didn't know how to respond to that, he could only add to the love Firestar already poured through their bond, and kiss the Toughline's tense neck cables. He held Red Alert there, unable to imagine what prompted this sudden suspicion.

Firestar spiraled within his processor, just as confused as he.

* * *

**Author's Notes **Initially written for Ilyusha in an attempt to make her feel better, this didn't turn out nearly as fluffy as I wanted, but Red Alert was still fretting over Jazz in my head.


End file.
